Creative B

This summer, the University of Florida brings a world of creativity, culture and performances to campus with Creative B. 

Introduced in 2010 by the Office of the Provost, Creative B is designed to delight, educate and entertain with a wide variety of live cultural performances and interdisciplinary summer activities. Here is a look at this year's events: 

PUBLIC ART PROJECT: American artist Susan P. Cochran’s large-scale cast bronze sculptures of ants, “X” and “O”, will be installed at the Florida Museum of Natural History on Tuesday, July 7, 2015 between 12 and 2 p.m. The sculptures are on loan from the artist and will reside at UF as a temporary installation for one year. Free and open to the public.

CENTER FOR ARTS IN MEDICINE, HARN MUSEUM OF ART & UF HEALTH CENTER FOR MOVEMENT DISORDERS AND NEURORESTORATION: Robert Cunningham: Out of the Blue will be on display June 29-August 9, 2015 at the Harn Museum of Art’s Chandler Auditorium. Cunningham is a self-trained artist who took up painting after undergoing deep brain stimulation for treatment of Parkinson’s disease. Additionally, on Saturday, July 11, 2015 at 3 p.m. there will be a panel discussion on Parkinson’s disease and the arts also in Chandler Auditorium. Experts on movement disorders and arts in medicine will discuss how creative engagement can impact those living with Parkinson’s disease. The discussion is followed by a reception that includes dance and art making activities that highlight the connections between art and health and artists with Parkinson's disease. Free and open to the public.

CENTER FOR UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH: “Research Methods at UF” is a course for all majors that provides dynamic, interdisciplinary and interactive overview of diverse research methodologies conducted by UF faculty.

COLLEGE OF THE ARTS: 

Pierre Corneille’s The Liar will be on the Constans Theatre stage at UF July 9-12, 2015 (7:30 p.m. July 9-11; 2 p.m. July 12). Adapted by David Ives and directed by Judith Williams, The Liar features Dorante, a charming young man newly arrived in Paris in 1643 who has one flaw… he cannot tell the truth. Tickets are $13 for UF students, UF faculty/staff and senior citizens, and are $17 for the general public. For tickets, call 352-392-1653 or visit ticketmaster.com. 

Gator Tales is an original play devised and directed by UF Professor Kevin Marshallin conjunction with the UF Samuel Proctor Oral History Program that uses the unique experiences of African American students at the University of Florida, from the first students who attended more than 50 years ago to members of the current student body. Performances are July 16-19, 2015 (7:30 p.m. July 16-18; 2 p.m. July 19) in the Nadine M. McGuire Theatre and Dance Pavilion’s Black Box Theatre. Tickets are $13 for UF students, UF faculty/staff and senior citizens, and are $17 for the general public. For tickets, call 352-392-1653 or visit ticketmaster.com. 

SWAMP DANCE FEST! is a transformative four-week dance intensive taking place July 6-August 5, 2015 featuring classes, artist talks, free classes for the community and a series of culminating performances. Many events are free and open to the public. To learn more, visit www.arts.ufl.edu/swampdancefest.

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING: UF welcomes poet and educator Zilka Joseph as part of Creative B. On Wednesday, August 5, 2015 from 7-9 p.m. she will be in the Nadine M. McGuire Theatre and Dance Pavilion’s Black Box Theatre for a poetry reading. Then, on Thursday, August 6, 2015 from 7-9 p.m. STEPUP students will hold a storytelling performance in the same location. Receptions will immediately follow each event. To RSVP to attend, email efiore@eng.ufl.edu. 

DIGITAL WORLDS INSTITUTE: “Creating Mobile Games” and “Digital Entertainment Trends” are two courses offered during Creative B to introduce students to designing their own mobile games and exploring media technology trends and their effect on our culture. A culminating showcase of student work will be held Friday, August 7, 2015 at 5:30 p.m. in UF’s Digital Worlds Institute’s REVE. Free and open to the public. 

DIGITAL WORLDS INSTITUTE & SCIENCE FICTION WORKING GROUP: Creativity at the Crossroads of Art & Science is a free film screening series every Wednesday night in July beginning July 8, 2015 from 7-8:30 p.m. in in UF’s Digital Worlds Institute’s REVE. This series of short-film screenings will offer entertaining and thought-provoking glimpses into the diverse ways art and science can converge, interact and productively inspire one another. Refreshments will be provided. Free and open to the public. 

FLORIDA MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY: Join the Florida Museum of Natural History for the 5th Annual Creative B Movie Series, “Ethics of Science, Art and Movies,” on Friday nights July 10-31, 2015. Explore the balance between science and art with our expert panel who will discuss the movies’ production process and place in film history. UF students receive free admission to A T. rex Named Sue with their Gator 1 card. Panel discussions begin at 7 p.m. with the film screenings immediately following. More at flmnh.ufl.edu. Free and open to the public.

GEORGE A. SMATHERS LIBRARIES: UF students are invited to learn how global positioning systems (GPS) can be used to find your location on the earth, locate geographic coordinates and collect geospatial data. Summer B students will use GPS units to explore the University of Florida campus. Students who complete the activity will receive a certificate to print out a free 3D object with the Marston Science Library 3D printer. More at http://cms.uflib.ufl.edu/creativeb. 

RELATED ACTIVITIES: The “Get to Know Me” project was part of the global Inside Out Art Project by JR, a semi-anonymous French street artist, uses his camera to show the world its true face, by pasting photos of the human face across massive canvases. The art was painted on the 34th Street wall on Saturday, June 27, 2015. 

Join the conversation online using #CreativeBUF.